There are so many ways that life can beat you down, and every time it does, it feels like you don’t have control over what’s happened to you or even how you respond to it. Resorting to a drug or depressant like alcohol can seem like a harmless action at first. Just one way to feel better when everything else is chaos, but before you know it, these comforts can turn into addictions. Addictions take away your own control more than anything else, and beating these addictions will take a lot of effort. Only once you beat them and replace them instead with healthy habits, however, can you truly take back control of your life and be your best self yet.

Be Honest with Yourself

The first step to taking back control of your life is always acceptance. You need to accept that what you are doing is hurting you or those around you. Denial will only allow you to keep going without acknowledging the destruction you are causing with your addiction. This honesty might come preemptively, or it might only come once you hit rock bottom, but being honest with yourself will always be the first step to improving your life, because only once you accept what you are doing, can you work to make the necessary changes.

Find Real Solutions to the Things You Want to Change

Not everything you will want to change in your life will necessarily be from an addiction. Depression and anxiety can cause lifestyle changes just as detrimental to our health and wellbeing as being addicted to alcohol or narcotics. The solutions to these problems will be varied. How you overcome a drug addiction will be different than how you try to improve your mental health. Similarly, not every solution will work for you. All that matters is that you continue to push and continue to try to find something that works.

Find New Habits and Activities to Occupy Your Time

As you are addressing the problems and health issues that are holding you back, it can be very beneficial to find new habits and hobbies to occupy your time with instead. The healthier these habits and hobbies are, the better they will help you improve your health and your life. Try to find ways to make healthy living easier as well, and you will be right on track to taking back control of your life and being your best self yet.

Set Realistic Goals and Start Achieving Them

Finally, start setting realistic goals for yourself. These goals can be as simple as making healthy dinners every day for a week, and can get progressively more difficult. The smaller the goal, the easier it will be to achieve. The goal here is to keep achieving and keep succeeding until those little steps become milestones. Combined with your new healthy lifestyle you will be able to live the life you have always wanted.

Life is full of ups and downs, but by bettering our health and our wellbeing, we can better prepare ourselves to live our lives to their fullest.

WHO AM I?
That’s probably what you’re thinking? It’s simple I’m this generation’s “Dear Abby!” I was raised in the Fourth Ward of Atlanta, educated in the School of Hard Knocks, and rescued by the concrete and steel of New York City. Life at best will always be bittersweet. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be. I’d prefer to be on your sweeter side. Everyone needs a listening ear, extra shoulder, and open arms when life gets rough. I’m your new best friend, whe it all goes south remember I’m a mouse click or tweet away. Hang in there kids, you’re gonna love kickin’ it with me!!!
-MIKEY